Poison Was the Cure (Revamped!)
by Exchanging-Words
Summary: Dakota loved working with WWE — every second of working there filled her with joy. However, while she enjoyed living her dreams, there was one man who tormented her on a daily basis: Dean Ambrose. There wasn't one day that he failed to get on her nerves. But one day, she gets news after a simple knock on the door that seems to be bad in the beginning, but turns out good in the end.
1. Chapter 1: Dakota's Unpleasent Evening

_**Disclaimer - I don't own any WWE Superstars that appear in this story, nor do I claim to own them. The only person I own is Dakota Flores. I am making no monetary gain by writing this piece of fiction, and it is merely that — fiction.**_

_**A / N - I am re-writing this story. Although the original version of this wasn't completed (although it almost was) I set out to complete it this time. And also probably take it in a different direction.**_

* * *

**_POISON WAS THE CURE_**

**_Written By; KassidyL. Date Started; 22 June 2014._**

**_CHAPTER 1 - DAKOTA'S UNPLEASANT EVENING_**

* * *

_**Dakota's POV;**_

I sat on the floor, hugging my knees and looking up at the roof. I had just lost the Diva's championship after holding it for two hundred and twenty-five days. I had known the outcome of the match already, but I really felt the pain after realising that it was the first time in a long time that I hadn't been able to walk backstage with the championship held on my shoulders proudly.

However, I was still happy. I had passed the championship on to my best friend, AJ Lee. We had been in an extremely long feud prior to me losing, and I thought that I was already mentally prepared for the eventual outcome of it, but it hit me harder than I had expected.

I heard her voice in the distance, and I quickly tried to perk myself up before she figured out that I wasn't quite ready to give up the belt. "Hey!" she greeted cheerily as she adjusted her belt, which still had my nameplate on it. "What are you doing here, Dakota? Weren't we supposed to hang out tonight?"

Slowly, I stood up and stared straight at the belt that was once mine, but then looked at her in the eyes, trying to hide the disappointment in myself. "I'll meet you there in a few, so go on and enjoy yourself, champ." She flashed a smile my way and ran along.

As soon as she was out of sight, I turned in the opposite direction to the Diva's locker room. I stared down at my feet while walking so I didn't have to fake a smile, but that was a bad idea. Lost in thoughts and blind to what was happening in front of me, I bumped into the one man that made my experience at WWE a little less exciting. He swept his auburn-tinged hair to the side, revealing his icy-blue eyes, staring straight down on me. "Do you ever watch where you're going, rat?" he asked, coming up a little closer to me, causing me to back away.

"I'm not in the mood right now, Dean." I quickly realized that I hadn't called him by some sort of silly name; not even by his last name. Just Dean. That was a sure indicator that I really wasn't in the mood, but of course, his dense mind didn't pick up on it.

"What's the matter? Are you upset that you lost your little championship?" He made his hands into fists and raised them up to his face, making crying gestures. "Get over it." He simply stated before moving aside so I can continue walking. However, just as I moved one foot in front of the other, he reached out to grab my hand and pulled me towards him.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked before he let go of my hands quickly. "I already told you that I'm not in the fucking mood!" I yelled before swiftly walking away. I was pretty sure that at that point, he knew that I was _really_ not in the mood.

* * *

A few hours after my encounter with Dean, I made my way to the hotel room I shared with AJ. She wasn't having a party like she planned, and instead opted to stay at the hotel with me and just talk. "I'm gonna get the nameplate removed by tomorrow," she said as she basically worshipped the belt. But, to be honest, I was like that all through my reign as champion, so I couldn't really say anything about it. "What's wrong?" she asked, probably noticing that I wasn't as upbeat as I usually was around her.

I sighed, debating whether or not I should tell her the truth. I decided on holding it in, feeling things would be better that if I let things pass. Besides, I didn't have anything against her; it was just that I worked hard to earn the championship and I wasn't ready to let it go. I figured that time healed, so I would be over losing the championship eventually. "I'm fine, honestly. Just a little beaten up after our match, but it's nothing I can't handle," I reassured. Something told me that she bought my excuse, so I didn't have to fake anything else.

"Really? Well, you don't have to stay up with me then. Just get some rest, because I'd feel responsible if you pass out tomorrow," she said, helping me off the floor.

"Are you sure? It's just a few aches here and there; I get those on a daily basis." I really didn't want to bail on her. Even though I was still trying to get myself together over my loss, I still didn't want her to have a boring night after she won her championship for the second time. "AJ, I really don't think I should just ditch you because of a few over-worked muscles."

As she rested me on the bed, she smiled at me. "Don't worry about it, Dakota. I can just look for Big E to hang out with." Big E was also one of our close friends, but for some reason, was basically MIA for most of the day. It was odd, really, but it wouldn't be the first time it happened. "Anyways, just stay here and relax yourself so you have at least enough strength to wrestle a match tomorrow."

I nodded, refusing to go any further with it, and snuggled up in bed comfortably. As soon as she turned on her heel and left the hotel, I rolled out of bed, walking around the place, quickly realising that I was completely alone with nothing to do.

_Why the hell did I allow my best friend to go out and have fun without me just because I was bitter over a **fucking championship**_? I was actually thinking of going to look for her to hang out and stop acting so grumpy, but then I remembered the act I put up regarding my "aching" muscles and decided that it would make no sense to do so.

Just as I was about retreat back to the comfortable hotel bed, I heard three knocks on the door. Figuring that it was probably AJ who forgot her key, (which I could see on the nightstand) I opened the door, but the person I saw standing in front of me was who I'd least expect it to be. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"


	2. Chapter 2: Bad News and Boners

_**POISON WAS THE CURE**_

_**CHAPTER 2 - THE TWO B'S — BAD NEWS AND BONERS**_

* * *

_**Dakota's POV;**_

I stood in front of the door, my face red with anger, as Dean stood in front of me, a smug smirk on his face. He brushed past me, ignoring the question I had asked. He made himself comfortable in the bed — _my _bed — before scooting over a bit, patting the small space beside him for me to join him. I shook my head quickly, disgusted by the thought of being that close to him. "Come on, princess, I won't bite you too hard," he stated, still patting the space on the bed. I hated being called a princess, just as much as I hated him, and he knew it. "That's the only way to get me to shut up."

I cringed a bit before shutting the door and lying in bed next to him. "My question is still unanswered," I said, trying to leave as much space between us as I could without falling off the bed.

He cleared his throat and placed his arm around my shoulder, igniting another cringe from me. "Deal with it," he said, holding me tighter. "Anyways, let me get my British accent on." He cleared his throat once again and slipped into a terrible British accent. "I'm afraid I've got some bad news," he said, admittedly earning a slight giggle from me due to his horrid accent. "Apparently, my feud with Seth is soon over, so they've been making plans for what I should do next. So far, they've come up with you pairing up with Adam Rose and eventually ending up with me. I don't have any more details, but you're basically stuck with me for probably a year or so."

By the time he was finished, my eyes were wide with shock. I already had a hard time just being _around_ him; how the hell was I supposed to partner up with him, which involved travelling together? I wondered why I couldn't have just stayed with Adam Rose instead of moving on to him, of all people. "Who told you this?" I asked, not believing his source was really accurate.

"Vince; he told me over the phone a few minutes ago. And trust me, I'm not happy about this whole arrangement, but I have to deal with it. I can't do anything about it. But, time will pass, and I'll be rid of you forever," he said with a smile.

Just as I was about to leave the bed, he squeezed me tighter, causing me to roll my eyes. "Don't you think it's time for you to leave?" I hoped that he would actually _leave_, but unfortunately, he raised his finger up to my lips.

"Relax yourself, princess. Just a few more minutes and I'm gone, alright? Jeez, you can't me that much..." I sat there, wondering what kind of messed up game he was trying to play, and how I would be able to get out of it. I never ever wanted to be that close to him, but for some reason, he felt comfortable. Still, it was wrong, and still cringe-worthy. Just because he felt comfortable didn't change the fact that he was still basically the bane of my existence.

After a few seconds of sitting in silence, there was a knock on the door, and I knew that it was AJ this time. I was about to get up and open it, but I remembered that Dean was still there in my room, lying down on my bed. It looked wrong — it _was_ wrong — but I knew my best friend; she would always assume the worst until I gave her a reason to think otherwise. Therefore, it would have been in my best interest if I just decided to just cover up his presence.

I yanked him off the bed and shoved him in the bathroom, thinking he would get the memo, then rushed to the door to open it for her. As I stood in front of her, my lips stretched out into a fake smile. "Oh, hi," I said, my eyes fixated on her. "Why are you back so early?" I asked, trying to make it seem like I was really shocked to see her come back.

"I came back to get my keys... why are you so happy all of a sudden?" she inquired, stepping into the room and going over to the nightstand to take up her keys. I didn't expect her to stay there and wait for answers, however, and I wished she would just leave things as they were, even though I really wasn't happy and was just putting up a front to please her. "Well..." she said, arms folded across her chest.

Just as I was about to answer, Dean came out of the bathroom, a towel draped loosely around his waist. I stood there, eyes wide, and I could've sworn I was going to die right there. Well, he was attractive — _really_ attractive — but I made it perfectly clear to AJ that he and I were not even close to being friends, and to have her see him in our room with a towel around his waist while I was supposed to be resting due to my "aching muscles" was just…wrong. More than wrong. It was just something wasn't ever supposed to happen — it wasn't even to be thought about! However, there was no going back in time; the damage was already done. "It's not what you think," I said barely above whisper. I wondered why I sounded and looked so guilty because it really wasn't what she probably thought it was. But of course, simply saying that wasn't going to convince her; I had to prove it.

"Dakota, hurry up and deal with whatever it is you're dealing with; this thing isn't going to fix itself," I stated, pointing to the bulge that was showing through the towel.

"I see what's going on..." AJ said with a smirk before running off to wherever she was going.

"What the hell was that?" I asked the minute the door shut behind her. "Do you have any fucking idea how many rumours your little stunt is gonna ignite?" Despite being upset, I was still blushing because, well... that thing he was referring to. I had to give him credit for carrying around such a... _large_ object.

"It's calling being a dick, Dakota. You should be used to it by now," he said with a wink before re-emerging into the bathroom.

He was indeed a dick. A dick that was extremely attractive, that is, but you already knew that.


	3. Chapter 3: Breaking Point

**_POISON WAS THE CURE_**

_**CHAPTER 3 - BREAKING POINT**_

* * *

_**Dakota's POV;**_

For most of the day, AJ's gloating about her new championship turned into my non-existent relationship with Dean. I explained the real story to her — eleven times — but she still didn't believe me. There were a few times that I even steered the conversation to the championship, just so I wouldn't have to listen to her mention my Dean's name around me.

We were sitting in catering, Big E sitting with us. Since he was with us for most of the day, it was inevitable that he found out about what happened the previous night. "Actually, I believe Dakota," he said before shoving a carrot in his mouth. I draped my arms around his neck and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Okay, enough of that. Anyways, I believe her because Dean has a tendency to mess with people just for the fun of it."

AJ sighed and shook her head. "You might be stupid, but I'm not. But it doesn't matter — whether or not they're together, I want to see a date." By the time the words left her mouth, I choked on the water I was drinking. She was seriously trying to set us up, despite the fact that we really _don't_ like each other — probably never will.

"As much as I love you, that's a terrible idea; Dean and I would definitely _not_ be a good couple." I felt a pair of hands touch my shoulder, and after glancing up to see who the culprit was, I rolled my eyes and groaned. "Could you please stop touching me?"

He grabbed a seat next to me and planted a kiss on my cheek, earning a cringe. Just to make me cringe even more, he draped his arm over my shoulder. I tried to shrug it off, but it stayed fixed on me. "I need to talk to you about last night," he said with a wink. He turned his attention to Big E and AJ, and I groaned, thinking that it couldn't have gotten any worse. "Do you guys mind of I borrow her for a second?"

_Say yes_! I thought as I stared at AJ. Unfortunately, she shook her head instead, and Big E just shrugged. Then, like that, I was dragged off to someplace private, and I didn't like it. "What the _hell_? I don't appreciate being tugged around like a rag doll — especially by people like _you_," I said, puffing out air as I folded my arms across my chest and shifted my weight on my right leg.

"Whatever. I just I had to tell you that this dumb storyline's gonna start by next week." I sighed and raked my fingers through my hair, thinking about all the horrible things that could happen once I pair up with Dean. Pranks, jokes that bring down my self-esteem, and his tendency to annoy me to the point where I want to kill him. He snapped me out of my thoughts by speaking again. "The only good thing that's gonna come out of this is a kiss," he said with a wink.

With that, I turned on my heel to return to my friends, but he yanked my back, pulling me into his arms, and lifting my chin so I could look straight into his icy blue eyes. I was hypnotised by them, but only for a split second. It was odd, and I neverwanted to do that again. I cleared my throat and tried to pull away, but he was too strong, so I finally decided to give up. I looked back up into his eyes, but I found myself lost in his gaze again. "Wha—What are you doing?" I stuttered, causing him to chuckle.

"Why don't we get an early start on this storyline thing?" he suggested, but for some reason, still wasn't sure what he meant. And I think the confusion showed on my face, since he decided to clarify a few minutes later. "The kissing, Dakota. Don't kill the mood," he said, bending down to place a kiss on my lips.

However, right before he did, AJ and Big E came looking for me, and saw what was just about to happen. _Fuck_. "I told you, E. I told you that they were together. But you decided to take Dakota's side."

Big E just stood there, water in his hands as he shook his head. "Look, even if you were right, what's the big deal?"

At that point, Dean loosened his grip, so I pulled away, walking over to both of them. "It's not true, alright? There is nothing going on between Dean and I. We aren't even _friends_. It's just that we both got stuck in a stupid storyline, and—" I stopped mid-sentence, realising that my attempts at telling them what happened would be useless.

"Ouch, baby," Dean said, hugging me from behind. "Are you really _that_ ashamed of me?"

I was filled with enough rage to have the right amount of strength to take his hands off me. I turned around and slapped him square in the face, not feeling an ounce of regret as my handprint appeared on his cheek. "First of all, don't ever touch me again," I ordered, my voice with an amount of anger I didn't even know I could harbour. "Second of all, don't show up around me, don't talk to me, or even _think_ about me. I hated you from day one, and I _still_ hate you. That won't change, as long as you keep acting like a huge dick."

I walked off, my eyes full of what I'd describe as "angry" tears. AJ and Big E followed closely behind me as I wiped stray tears from my cheek. "Don't you think that was harsh?" AJ spoke up.

I stopped walking, and turned around to face her. Even if I was harsh, he deserved it; he was mean to me my entire time in WWE, so that was well-deserved. "You know what? I really don't care." I continued walking along, not in the mood to speak to anyone — not even my own two best friends.


	4. Chapter 4: Strange Things Are Happening

_**POISON WAS THE CURE**_

_**CHAPTER 4 - STRANGE THINGS ARE HAPPENING**_

* * *

_**Dakota's POV;**_

A day after the incident with Dean, I expected him to go straight back to old ways. However, he was surprisingly obedient, and hasn't even _looked_ at me since. Although I upset him, he really did deserve it — he had been annoying me since I made it WWE. I was at the hotel gym, AJ on the treadmill next to me while Big E lifted weights. "You know, you guys really make a cute couple," she said as she looked straight ahead. "Take it from a married woman." She brought her hand up to my face, her wedding ring flashing in my face. Show off…

"Well, from what I experienced with him, we wouldn't make a good couple, no matter how _cute_ we look. Appearances aren't everything," I said, speeding up the machine a little to match her pace. "He's a jerk, AJ. I would never want to be with him."

From the look on her face, I could tell that she didn't agree with me, as usual. "According to E, he usually only messes with the guys, because he knows they can handle a little teasing. You're the only girl he messes with, which must make you special — to him, at least." She looked at me this time, and smiled at me. "And it seems to me that he's special to you, too. I mean, I never realised it before, but now I know that the only reason you casually brought up how much you _hate_d him is because you wanted to talk about him, but you didn't want to say that you liked him."

That was absolutely false — I really hated him. I brought up how much I hated him because I needed to vent somewhere. I couldn't keep hateful feelings bottled up inside of me forever. However, I wasn't going to voice my, since I would just be met with another reason why my explanation was bullshit, which it _really _wasn't. Instead, I shook my head and turned my full attention to my workout. Well, I was, until Dean stepped on the treadmill next to AJ. I cleared my throat, and tried to think about someone other than him. "Anyways, how's your husband?" I asked, not really interested, since I already spoke to him earlier that day.

She rolled her eyes and cocked her in the direction of Dean. "Are you just gonna ignore him?" she asked, ignoring my question. At that point, I was beyond mad. I already made it clear that I didn't want to talk to him, so it upset me that she would say something like that right in front of him. "Don't look at me like that — you know you're dying to do it."

At that point, I stopped my treadmill and went over to the vending machine to get an energy drink. That was my only way out without being rude. However, after I while of standing in front of the vending machine with the drink in my hand, Dean came over, brushing me aside to buy a drink for himself. "Okay, what the hell was that for?" I asked, even though I knew exactly why he pushed me. He looked at me for a while, then grabbed my hand, pulling me aside private. That seemed familiar…

"Do you really hate me that much?" he inquired, looking me straight in the eyes. "Because if you do… Well, that's your problem. You weren't supposed to take it seriously, but whatever…"

I sighed, taking a swig of my drink. Even though he didn't mean for me to take things seriously, the things he teased me about were hurtful — to me, at least. I worked my whole career for that championship (not that one in particular, but seeing as the Women's championship was retired, the Diva's championship had to do). I had it ripped away after my hard work of making it interesting, and he decided to make fun of me for it. "Okay… I get it. You were just kidding, but you need to understand that some things are sensitive situations that shouldn't be made fun of. You may think it's cool, but it's not cool for me."

He nodded and looked around the place, then returned his gaze to me. "Are we just gonna forget that we almost kissed yesterday, or…" He trailed off, using hand gestures to compensate unsaid words.

I rolled my eyes and nodded. "Yes, we'll forget it. Thank God it didn't happen. That would've been a stupid thing to do…" I smiled at him, but it quickly turned into a bewildered look when he opened his arms, waiting for a hug. "Dean? Are you alright?" I asked.

"Just hug me and shut up." And that's just what I did. I wrapped my arms around him, my head resting on his chest. He smelled sweaty, but I could still smell his cologne lingering on him. For some reason, I wasn't protesting those kind of thoughts — I didn't feel the need to. "I think we're friends now…" he stated, his voice slicing through my thoughts.

"I guess so," I said, raking my fingers through my hair. "For now."


	5. Chapter 5: The Worst Time Possible

_**POISON WAS THE CURE**_

_**CHAPTER 5 - THE WORST TIME POSSIBLE**_

* * *

_**Dakota's POV;**_

A few days after Dean and officially became friends, rumours began to swirl around backstage. I'd learned from him that what they thought didn't matter — what mattered was the reality of things. Still, the fact that they would assume something like that with no proof got to me. With a tap on my shoulder, Dean got my attention. I turned around and smiled at him, patting the seat next to me so he could sit. "This friendship is extremely weird…" AJ said, taking a sip of her water. "But, I approve."

I knew that the only reason she approved of our friendship is because she thought it would blossom into something more, even though I didn't think so. Still, I wasn't going to tell her that. "Don't get too used to it," Dean stated, looking at me for a quick second before returning to AJ. "She told me that we're only friends for the time being."

I nodded and drank my water. For some reason, my guts told me my friendship with him wasn't going to last. Therefore, I was determined to at least try to make it work until something — or someone — split us apart. "That's right. Don't get comfortable."

Big E and AJ exchanged looks before turning their attention back to Dean and I. "You're both so casual about this, and it's freakin' weird," Big E said, looking solely at me. "What's the point of continuing this friendship if you both know it's not gonna last?"

I shrugged and then proceeded to leave my seat, saying goodbye to everyone. My match was coming up soon, so I needed to prepare myself. However, halfway to my quiet place, Dean came up behind me, placing his arm around my shoulders. "Dean, what are you doing?" I said, trying to hold in my temper. I still didn't like it when he did that.

"Don't worry about it." He stopped me from walking and gently pushed me against the wall behind me. "Remember when we almost kissed? Well… I can't forget about it," he said, staring straight into my eyes. I shivered under his gaze, and I knew that he noticed, since he soothingly rubbed my arms. "To get it out of mind, I need to actually kiss you so we can just move on with life."

I stood there, a rather frightened expression written across my face. When I first met Dean, I never knew that something like that would've been in the picture. I imagined him annoying me for most of my run in WWE and then getting tired of it, moving on to someone else. Instead, I got almost kissing him, a friendship bound to fail, and a proposal to kiss him so he could get it out of his mind. In regards to the last part, I decided on doing it, since it meant that it would be behind us sooner than later. "Okay." I simply said before taking a deep breath, wrapping my arms around his neck and placing my lips against his. As I got more comfortable with his soft, warm lips against mine, I closed my eyes.

I pressed my body against his, applying more pressure to the kiss than before. His hands were on my lower back, dangerously close to touching my rear, while my hands were playing in his soft, auburn-tinged hair. Soon enough, I could feel something hard grinding against my pelvis, and his hands cupping my ass. I chose not to stop what was happening because… well, I liked it, for some reason. That wouldn't have been the first time I did something out of the ordinary, after all.

His hands moved from my ass to the hem of my t-shirt I was wearing over my ring gear. As soon as he was about to pull it over my head, someone cleared their throat to make us aware of their presence, causing us to pull away from each other. The culprit was, of course, Big E and AJ, once again. "This is a _really_ fucked up friendship," AJ said with a shake of her head.

"Seeing as you guys are _friends_, and you were close to fondling each other, will that happen to me?" Big E asked, earning a smack in the head from AJ. "I've been hit harder than that, sweet cheeks; it doesn't hurt now," he said with a smug smile.

I stood there, my cheeks beet red as AJ and Big E stared straight at me, waiting for answers. I couldn't give them answers, since I was damn-near close to having sex with him right there, and that _definitely_ couldn't be a part of our up-coming romance storyline. "I'll explain it to you later," I said, sighing and folding my arms. "For now, can I just talk to Dean alone?" I didn't even really want to talk to him — I just wanted to express how embarrassed I was to someone, but he was the only person who would understand.

AJ shrugged and turned on her heel, but then turned back around. "By the way, seeing as what happened between you and him ruined your sense of time, you're match starts in two minutes," she said, finally walking away, Big E tagging along.

My eyes widened when I heard the amount of time I had left to prepare myself. Without saying a single word to Dean, I ran off, and he probably had a confused look on his face as I did so.


	6. Chapter 6: Invitation

_**POISON WAS THE CURE**_

_**CHAPTER 6 - INVITATION**_

* * *

_**Dakota's POV;**_

Even though the kiss between Dean and I the previous day was good — _great_, actually — I couldn't help but feel a bit awkward around him, especially with the was he was staring at me. Every time I took a quick glance at him, his eyes were always fixed on me, as if he was trying to mentally undress me. I began thinking that I let things go too far between us, and that was why his mind was possibly filled with obscene thoughts of me. And I said possibly because I wasn't a mind-reader, after all. I was thinking purely on the vibe I was picking up from him.

However, I had only seen him once for the entire day, and was beginning to believe that he was trying to avoid me. I was grateful, though. I needed the time to fully think about what happened and why I decided to let things go to that extent. While I hadn't figured it out just yet, I was on the path to figuring out my own feelings. It was a confusing situation. On one hand, I found him attractive, on the other hand, I either thought of him as a temporary friend, or I loathed the ground he walked on.

I was at my quiet place when I felt my phone vibrate in the pocket of my sweater. I took a break from stretching to see who was calling or texting me. As I slid it out of my pocket, I saw that it was Dean who had been texting me.

'_I don't ever want to have to use this goddamn phone to text again, but this is important. I need to talk to you in person, so meet me out in the parking lot.'_

I really didn't feel like leaving to meet him at a place I knew we would be alone. However, he said that it was important, and the parking lot wasn't far from where I was, so I slid my phone back in my pocket and began walking in the direction of the parking lot.

When I got there, I felt his warm breath on my neck as he crept up behind me in an attempt scare me, although it didn't work. "Okay, you know that scaring me doesn't work now, right? It worked the first twenty times, but I'm cool with it now," I said, turning to face him. He flashed a smile, exposing his dimples that I had admittedly grown to love. "Anyways, what important thing did you want to tell me?" I inquired, shoving my hands in the pockets of my sweater.

"I didn't really want to tell you anything important. I just wanted to ask if you want to go out somewhere tonight with Seth, Roman, and Renee." I rolled my eyes and turned on my heel to get back to actually doing something important. But, I felt him tugging me back by my arm, and decided to stay there and listen to what else he had to say. "Come on, don't you want to have fun for once?"

I sighed and nodded, seeing as agreeing was the only way that he would let me go back to doing my job. "Alright, I'll go. What time?"

"Thirty minutes after the show ends, just so everybody will have enough time to get ready." He smiled at me, and moved some of my hair behind my ears. "But, if you want, I can set aside fifteen minutes for us and tell the rest of them that we leave forty-five minutes after instead."

He was staring at me intently, and as usual, his eyes were captivating, causing me to be completely motionless. I needed to snap out of it, and fast, before he either tried to kiss me again, or actually set aside fifteen minutes. In fact, I needed to stop before he did _both _of those things. "No, don't do that," I said a little too quietly, but I knew he heard me since he shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, I need to get going… I have a job to do," I said, finally leaving him.

* * *

After I had showered after my match, I decided not to wait for AJ's match to finish to get back to the hotel. I thought it would have been easier if I explained the entire situation of me going out without her over text instead of face-to-face, since she would have most likely grilled me for information, and I would have to answer them on the spot, whereas through texting, I could say that I hadn't seen the message.

The show was going to be over in fifteen minutes, so I needed to leave the hotel room before AJ came and saw how I was dressed. I was pretty dolled-up for the night. Usually, I would simply wait a casual dress and heels with a simple up do for events like this, but that night, my light brown hair was carefully straightened, I was wearing a tight-fitting black and gold shirt that ended at my midriff, a black mini-skirt that stopped at the centre of my thighs, and a pair of black knee-high platform boots. AJ would have completely interrogated me if she saw my unusual get-up.

To avoid that, I called Dean to ask if he knew which room Renee was staying in so I could have stayed with her until everyone was ready to go. Fortunately, he knew, and actually told me which room to go to. When I knocked on the door, I could tell that she was preparing herself, since I saw the curling iron in her hand. "Hi," I said, waving at her. "Can I come in?"

She nodded and stepped aside, allowing me to enter. Renee, from what I could tell about our very few off-character interactions, was a very nice and sweet person. However, I was in for a surprise that night…


	7. Chapter 7: The Difference Between Them

_**A / N - Before I begin this chapter, I'd like to say that I have nothing against Renee Young — in fact, I love her. The things that happen is just to make the story a bit more interesting. Therefore, please save the hateful comments — they aren't necessary, since I am not "jealous" of her. I know that I have a snowballs chance in hell with Dean, so I have no reason to get jealous.**_

_**Moving on now, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank the following users: tobytpll, HearAmyRoar, AmytheaRose, DylanMoodley, Livin on the EDGE, everett oakley, Jotunheim Storm, lovethemafia, alibob687, lauraxxx, RachelNicole523, Coreys Kitten, tinalovesambrose, calwitch, JohnCenaFan21, esmecruz2095567, lostboyalien, elliexhardy, Pegaeselchen, Gingersnap87, SethRollinsGirl, Dizzy2k9, caz21, StephanieLockedInTheTARDIS, amber-gem, Read Head Chick loves Ambrose, prettygirlattheairport, SRInjustice, wwemicky, TONGUEandCHEEK, gamagori, 88Jade88, CarolReigns, ghunter182003, WWECiara, kksimonsmeier1997, and WWESpongefan. Without all of you, this story would have been discontinued a long time ago, so all of you are simply amazing! xoxo.**_

* * *

_**POISON WAS THE CURE**_

_**CHAPTER 7 - THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RENEE YOUNG AND RENEE PAQUETTE**_

* * *

_**Dakota's POV;**_

Renee and I spent forty-five minutes together in her hotel room talking about random things, such as TV shows, movies, music, etcetera. She seemed like a fun, kind person who was easy to get along with. I decided that I was going to spend most of the night with her and let the boys hang out together. That probably was the initial plan, after all.

Both of us waited downstairs in the lobby for Dean, Seth, and Roman. They came five minutes late, laughing and high-fiving each other. As soon as Dean saw us, he went straight for Renee, placing an arm around her shoulder. He didn't even acknowledge me, and I hated to say it, but it made me feel a little bad, However, I wasn't going to let that ruin the night, so I put on a smile and looked at Seth, and Roman, flashing them a smile and waving. "You look stunning," Seth, said, his eyes roaming up and down my body. "I rarely ever see you dressed like this, to be honest."

Roman nodded and followed the same eye-pattern as Seth did to my body. "I agree. You really do look great," he said with a smile.

I was blushing at that point. That usually happened when two attractive men compliment you… "Thanks," I said, still blushing. However, I stopped when I realised that Dean hadn't even said a word, and was completely gushing over Renee. It looked like they were together, but Dean never mentioned Renee that much to anyone. Either way, I didn't like that he was ignoring me. Well, I kind of did predict the future. We were only supposed to be temporary friends, and as much as I didn't want it to end so soon, that night probably was the end.

* * *

Dean drove us to a nightclub that wasn't located too far from the bar. Roman opted to be the designated driver, so I was free to consume as much alcohol as I wanted. It was well needed, since Renee sat in the front seat and both she and Dean barely acknowledged anyone else's presence. It was just upsetting, and as much as I tried not to let it get to me, it was hard not to.

I sat at the bar, feeling the need to down as much alcohol as I could. Instead, I opted for a single shot of Tequila and decided to save the binge-drinking for later on in the night. Everyone else was dancing to the loud rock music playing, except me, obviously. I wasn't in the mood for dancing. Actually, I couldn't dance at all, so that was a factor too. I watched as Renee sensually rubbed her body against Dean, and I couldn't help but notice that his hand was on its way to going up her dress.

Instead of punishing myself by watching, I turned around and ordered five more shots of Tequila. I threw back a shot, feeling as it burned my way down my throat. I picked up the second shot glass, but someone swiped it out of my hand before I could try to erase my memories. I looked up and saw Dean taking a the shot that was supposed to be mine. Not in the mood, I rolled my eyes at him as he smiled at me and took up another shot glass. "What's the matter, cupcake?" he asked, looking over his shoulder for a brief second before returning to me. "You don't look like you're having fun.

"Of course I'm not. I'm basically the fifth wheel. Roman and Seth are over there having a good time, you and Renee are entirely too _busy_ to know that I'm alive, so my last resort is to get drunk and call it a night."

_**Dean's POV;**_

If I didn't know any better, I'd say that she was jealous. But, we weren't even a couple, so that wasn't possible. To be honest, I really wasn't paying attention to her, and I was the one who invited her. That was a dick move, which I still am, but not to her. I never really got to look at her properly. She looked pretty hot — more so than usual. I especially loved how her tits were basically ready to explode out of the top she was wearing. Maybe if she got drunk enough, she would _allow_ them to spill all over the place for my viewing pleasure.

I think she noticed that I was staring, since she covered her chest with her arms. "Sorry," I said, taking another shot. "Anyway, you look great, Dakota. Honestly." She just nodded and rolled her eyes. Something told me that she was still pissed over me ignoring her. "Wanna dance?" I said in an attempt to get her to forgive me. She shook her head, not even making eye-contact with me. I screwed up bad. "Do you need a few more shots to loosen up?"

She shook her head again, this time making eye-contact. "No, Dean. Don't you get it? I don't want to dance, especially not with you." She said, taking the last shot before climbing off the Barstool and attempting to strut off somewhere. However, I grabbed her and pulled her back to me. My legs were open, and she was standing between time, her chest pressed up against mine, and our foreheads were touching. It turned me on, how close we were to each other, but of course, I couldn't do anything about it, since we were supposed to be friends and nothing more. "Come on," I said, standing up. "We're gonna dance." I pulled her over to the dance floor and she tried to run as soon as I loosened my grip a bit, but I got her back.

"No, I don't want to dance. I _can't _dance." I found that hard to believe. She never seemed like a partying chick, but I still always assumed that she could dance. I didn't even know why; I just did. I twirled her around and pressed her against me so I could feel her ass against me. "What are you doing? Didn't you just hear what I said?"

She really needed to stop talking sometimes… "Bend your knees a little, and rotate your hips and waist," I instructed. She started doing it, and I almost died laughing. She was terrible. "Okay, stop that. That is not what I told you to do. I said to rotate your hips and waist, not your entire upper body. Try again." The next time around, she was doing better, but something was missing. A very important detail. I grabbed her right hand and placed it around my neck, and she looked up me, her gunmetal blue eyes giving me this sexy, but still cute, look. "You're doing great," I said, placing a hand on her waist.

I felt myself getting harder by the second; the amount of sensuality oozing off her at that moment was unbearable. "I know," she said with a wink. Of course, she had to have a smart mouth, but I liked that one, surprisingly.

_**Dakota's POV;**_

I knew that I was mad at him before, but he was the one who made the night fun for me, so I couldn't possibly stay mad at him. However, me forgiving him probably had to do with the fact that I was a little bit tipsy, but not to the point where I couldn't stand up. I was just a bit looser and easy-going.

He turned me around and placed his hand on my ass as a swiveled my hips to the beat of the song that was currently playing. He smiled at me and spanked me softly. "What was that for?" I asked with a giggle at the end.

"For my own personal reasons," he said with a wink. He stared at me a smile on his face as his lips came closer and closer to mine. I felt his breath on my lips and it sent shivers down my spine.

As soon as our lips were about to connect, I came tumbling down, my ankle twisting in a very unnatural fashion. I quickly removed my left boot to tend to my ankle and saw that it was already a bit swollen, and hurt at any slight touch. I looked up to see who caused my fall, and saw Renee apologising. "I'm so sorry," she said. "Someone else pushed me on you." She bent down to help me massage my foot, but it hit me. The dance floor was really empty, with about eight other people scattered across the room, and no one was that close to Dean and I. I saw two different shades of Renee. The sweet, friendly one I met earlier was Renee Young. The one that had pushed me a while ago was Renee Paquette — the one that was deceitful.

I tried to stand up, but fell down when my ankle refused to go to its intended position. The night couldn't possibly get any worse.


	8. Chapter 8: Doomsday Begins Today

_**A / N - Just to clarify, the part that is bolded and in italics (**__**like this, for example)**__**symbolises the televised portion, as in the part that we as fans watch on TV. I hope I haven't confused anybody. xoxo.**_

* * *

_**POISON WAS THE CURE**_

_**CHAPTER 8 - DOOMSDAY BEGINS TODAY**_

* * *

_**Dakota's POV;**_

Due to the injury to my ankle caused by Renee, I wasn't scheduled to wrestle. However, since it was Monday, the day the horrid storyline began, it meant that I still had to show up to work, injury or not.

I was at the gym with Big E lifting weights, since I couldn't exactly do my cardio routine that day. He stood above me, making sure I didn't drop the weights, but still kept the conversation going. "To be fair, you were about to make out with what's hers," he said with a shrug. "Then again, you had no way of knowing that."

I shook my head, breathing heavily as I went to my hundredth bench press. "If they were dating, why would he try to kiss me knowing fully well that his girlfriend was right there watching us?" I finished at one hundred and fifteen and let Big E put the barbell away for me. I panted heavily as I struggled to stand up on my sprained ankle.

"Point made. But, Ambrose is a sleazeball, so I wouldn't be surprised if he has tons of girls scattered across the country. But, since you guys are only friends, that shouldn't matter." I knew that he said that last part to make a point, but I didn't care. We really were _just_ friends. What happened the previous night was just me having some fun.

And while the night really was fun before the whole Renee incident, I decided that I wanted to steer clear of Dean just to avoid any more injuries. Even if it meant that we could no longer be friends. "Whatever. What really matters is, Renee isn't the sweet little angel we all perceived her to be, so if me being around Dean is what makes my body parts break and sprain, then I can't do that." As soon as I said his name, he came into the gym and placed his arm around me. I shrugged it off and limped away, leaving him and Big E behind.

When I reached a comfortable enough distance, I decided to stop so I didn't cause my ankle anymore pain. However, when I did, I felt someone picking me up off the ground, and of course, it was Dean. I squirmed and kicked until I got tired of doing so, but refused to get comfortable in his arms. "What's wrong, Dakota? You've been acting like this since last night. I'm the one that took you to the emergency room, remember?"

I sighed, trying once again to get out of his arms, but he held me tighter, making it known that I wouldn't be able to leave if I didn't answer him. "Dean, is Renee your girlfriend?" I asked, looking him straight in the eyes while doing so. He avoided eye-contact and placed me down immediately.

He sighed, raking his fingers through his hair, then placing his hands on his hips. "To be honest with you, she's not my girlfriend." He paused for a while and chewed on his bottom lip. That made me believe that there definitely was something between them. In order to figure out exactly what was going on, I had to do something to make him squeal. Turning around and limping away, I folded my arms across my chest. As soon as I made one simple movement, he began talking. "She does… you know… _favours_ for me. In return, she just gets to bang me some more."

I turned back around to look at him. He was staring straight at me, still chewing his lip. I sighed and shook my head. "You know that Renee pushed me on purpose, right?" He shook his head, causing me to roll my eyes and leave him alone. He didn't try to get me to stay that time, which meant he really believed that Renee didn't cause my injury.

But, I had bigger things to worry about. My job required me to follow through with all orders, and one of them — that couldn't have been more convenient — was that I had to be interviewed by Renee Young.

* * *

Later that say, AJ, Big E, and I were discussing what had happened between Dean and I earlier. We were all backstage gearing up for Raw, and Big E brought up the topic by asking how everything went. I really didn't want to talk about it, but somehow, I got sucked in. "She doesn't seem like a psycho bitch to me," AJ said, leaning against the wall. "Maybe someone really pushed her."

I groaned and shook my head. "No!" I yelled, slamming my hand on the wall. I breathed heavily for a while before regaining some composure so I could explain the story again. "There were barely any people on the dance floor, and there wasn't anyone close to us. Maybe she didn't intend to sprain my ankle, but she pushed me on purpose, regardless." I looked between both her and Big E, and by the look on their faces, I could tell that they didn't believe me, so I just rolled my eyes and walked off. I needed to prepare myself for my "interview", after all.

From the corner of my eye — as I made my way to the Diva's locker room — I could see Dean talking to Renee. Trying my hardest to ignore them, I tried to walk faster, careful not to hurt my ankle more, and due to my anger, I bumped straight into Adam Rose. "Oops! Sorry," he said in his South African accent.

I sighed, feeling bad that my anger took over and made me bump into him. "Don't be sorry… It was my fault, I'm sorry," I apologised before walking around him, but he called me back. I turned around and he pointed to my ankle, obviously taking note of my limping. "Oh… It was just an accident," I said, being a bit professional to avoid drama.

"Even with those over-sized boots on, I can see that you can barely manage to walk. Do you need any help?" he asked. And while I appreciated the offer, I had to decline. I was fine on my own, and help wasn't needed. I shook my head and proceeded to continue on my way. "If you need any help, just tell me," I heard him from say from a distance.

I nodded while walking, but of course, there was another interruption. However, I was interrupted by the last person I wanted to talk to. "I'm really sorry about your ankle, Dakota," she said, feigning kindness. I nodded and continued on my way, but she followed closely behind me. "I really am, and I want to make it up to you. How about me, you, and AJ hang out for a girls night out tonight in my hotel room?"

I stood still, wondering what kind of sick game she was trying to play. Maybe she wanted to injure me some more. I couldn't take that risk, so I shook my head before being blocked off by her. "If you don't mind, I'd like to sit back and relax my ankle while I can." Instead of listening to me like I hoped she would, she shook her head and placed her hands on my shoulders. "Renee, really, I'm fine. All I need is some rest."

She shrugged, then moved away, and I thanked God for that. The fakeness in her voice was getting to me.

* * *

It was about time for the interview with Renee to start, and I stood by as Renee fixed her hair. Adam was already there, and so was Dean. He hadn't said a single word to me since he showed up there, and I liked it like that. I had to steer clear of him off-screen if I wanted to wrestle injury-free.

Adam, however, had been speaking to me since he got there, but only to continually ask if I needed help. I liked that he was so caring, even though we barely knew each other, but I really was fine.

A stagehand signalled for me to get in place, so I did so, trying to remain a safe distance from Renee, but also staying close enough so I didn't take too long and miss my cue; just because I wasn't so fond of her, it didn't mean I had to jeopardise my job for such a stupid reason.

"_**Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome my guest at this time, Dakota Flores," Renee said, a smile on her face as she called my name. I tried my hardest not to limp as I walked over to her, an enthusiastic smile on my face, though I was sure that my eyes told everyone that I didn't want to be there.**_

"_**Hi, Renee!" I said, placing my hand on my hips. She shifted a little bit and took a deep breath and turned to face me.**_

"_**Hello. Now, Dakota, ever since losing the Diva's championship, you seem to be on a different path — one with no championship involved, despite the factthat you basically worshipped it. Would you like to explain your current mindset?"**_

_**I cleared my throat as she raised the microphone up to my mouth. "Well, honestly, being a champion just puts a gigantic target on your back, and it kind of burned me out, trying to dodge the missiles aimed at me. When I'm ready, I will be back. But, right now, I'll just be having fun and relax—"**_

_**I stopped in the middle of the sentence, surprised to see that Adam Rose and a bunch of Rosebuds were strolling in. Adam stopped in front of me, a smile on his face as he looked at me. Renee transferred the microphone from my mouth to his, and his eyes stayed at me as she did so. "Welcome to the Rosebud world, Dakota!" he exclaimed, his Rosebuds going wild behind him. "Being a Rosebud means it's party time all the time, and since you'll be having fun, I suggest you have fun on the Exotic Express."**_

_**Once again, Renee shifted the microphone to my mouth. I shrugged, debating on whether or not being a Rosebud was a good idea. "I don't know… I don't know what to expect. But, if you really want me to be a rosebud, you have one week to prove to me exactly how fun being a Rosebud would be."**_

_**He nodded as the microphone made its way to his mouth. "Okay. Why don't I start now?" The music started playing, and the light changed from white to a disco of red, purple, yellow, and green. Adam and his Rosebuds danced around the room while I stood there, my arms folded across my chest. While everyone was distracted, I felt a sharp pain on my sprained ankle. When I looked down, I saw Renee quickly pulling her foot away from my ankle. **_

_**I tried to contain my pain, which I did successfully. I looked up and saw Renee smiling and dancing as if she hadn't kicked me on my weakened ankle. I shook my head to seem as if I was staying in character. The music **__**stopped playing, and the lights returned to white again, and Dean strolled in, his face twisted as Adam Rose stepped in front of him. "While you're here partying with your little friend, you could use the time to prepare for our match later tonight. You're gonna need all the strength to fight with a man like me, and even then, you'll still come up short."**_

_**Before Adam could speak, I stepped in to defend him. "Actually, Dean, since you don't have your two buddies Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns to fight your battles for you, it would be fairly easy to beat you," I said getting closer to him. I could see the discomfort on Renee's face as I did so. **_

"_**Joining a bunch of idiots won't get you anywhere. With me, on the other hand, you'd reach far in this company. But, since you're set on teaming up with these boneheads, I guess you're gonna stay a loser," he stated, bending down a bit so his face was closer to mine.**_

_**I shook my head and stepped back. "If that was your attempt at getting me to partner up with you, then that absolutely sucked."**_

As soon as the camera stopped rolling, I plopped down on the ground and removed my left boot, not caring who I was blocking. It was even more swollen than before, and had a purple colour to it. I threw my head back and groaned, trying to massage it. Dean looked down, but shook his head and walked on. Adam, and Renee, however, stayed to see what the matter was. "It looks pretty bad," Renee said, and it killed me to know that she wasn't innocent at all.

"Yeah, it does," Adam stated while carefully pressing down on the swollen flesh. "Grab your boot. I'm taking you to the trainers." He lifted me up off the ground and took me with him, and I didn't refuse that time, knowing that I really needed to go. What bothered me about it, however, was that Renee was following us to maintain her innocence, when she was anything but that.


	9. Chapter 9: Confrontation

_**POISON WAS THE CURE**_

_**CHAPTER 9 - CONFRONTATION**_

* * *

_**Dakota's POV;**_

I had my hand over my eyes as I felt the doctor's hand playing with my foot. It almost looked like it had gotten worse when I got there, but that probably had to do with the fact that I was freaking out silently. I wanted to go back to the hotel, pack all my things, head for the next city, and try to forget what happened that day, and the day before.

"It seems to me that this is a severe sprain. I wouldn't know for sure until I get your x-rays, which will be in a few minutes, but until now, I can only say that it can be either a moderate or severe sprain." He twisted my ankle a bit, causing me to wince in pain. "A severe sprain is when there is a complete tear in a ligament, which means that it will take a longer time for it to heal. It requires complete immobilization of your ankle, followed by a long period of physical therapy. A sprain like this usually takes about a month or two for it to be able to handle pressure, but if it takes longer than that, you'll need surgery."

I shook my head, not wanting to listen to him speak any longer. I heard enough bad news, and I really didn't want to be bombarded with more. I was hoping that it would at least be a moderate sprain instead of a severe one. I had never had an injury that prevented me from wrestling before, and I didn't like the taste of it. I wanted to keep things professional and just let things slide instead of causing a lot of drama. However, at that moment, I'd decided that I held my tongue long enough. I needed to go to management and explain to them that the reason I couldn't wrestle like they wanted me to was the fault of Renee Young.

The x-rays came back a few minutes later, and I wasn't the least bit shocked to hear that it was severe. I'd been having terrible luck, so I just sighed and accepted the fact that I couldn't wrestle for one to two months, plus the months it took to regain full strength. The doctor placed an ankle splint on me and gave me two crutches so I could be on my way.

Sitting outside was Adam, and I really was grateful that he made me go check out my ankle. Me being as stubborn as I was, I probably would have never even gone, and I would have made matters worse. He stood up and took a look at my ankle, shooting me an apologetic expression. "Don't worry about it," I stated, carefully pulling him into a hug. "I'll be fine — It'll subside eventually. I just have to find out if I can still appear on TV."

He pulled away slowly, probably to avoid me stumbling. I stood in front of him, staying silent as we just stared at each other. I smiled and dropped my head, looking down at my feet before looking back up at him to see that he was also smiling. "You know, rumour has it that you're with Dean Ambrose, but I don't think that's true, is it?"

I sighed and shook my head, and opened my mouth to explain why that wasn't possible. However, before I could, Dean came behind me and lightly nibbled at my ear. I yanked my head away and groaned. Just when I shut down the rumour, he decided to do something like that. Typical Dean. "No, it doesn't work that way," I said, turning my head to look at him. "Don't think it's gonna work."

When I turned back, Adam had his hands behind his back while he stared at the ground. Dean obstructed my view of him, igniting a roll of my eyes. "Don't be like that, Dakota. We haven't spoken to each other for most of the day."

Adam cleared his throat, stepping closer to both of us. "If I may intervene, Dean, you paid no attention to her when she fell down, and I knew you saw her. You just left her there, like she wasn't even there in the first place."

I shifted uncomfortably as Dean gave Adam a death glare. I was trying to avoid drama, but of course, it somehow found a way to creep in again. "Please don't," I said, speaking to both of them. "I don't want my job to be compromised, nor do I want yours to be compromised, Adam." I paused and looked at Dean for a while, feeling a bit of disbelief washing over me as I rehearsed the words over and over again in my head. "And, as much as you get on every single one of my nerves sometimes, I kind of don't want you to lose your job," I stated while turning my body completely around. "But that still doesn't change the fact that I still hate you even more after what happened yesterday."

He groaned and rolled his eyes, running a hand through his hair before angrily rubbing his palm against his chest. "It's not her fucking fault. _None_ of it is. Why did I even invite you? I mean, it's not like I liked you anyway."

As each word left his mouth, it felt like he was slicing through my heart slowly with a large knife. There was a lump in my throat as I stood in front of him, watching as he smirked, probably to see if he got a rise out of me. He succeeded, but I wasn't about to let him know. I blinked fast to stave off the tears that threatened to fall, and took a deep, calming breath. I gave him a weak smile and raised my hand, careful not to drop my crutches, and slapped him right on his cheek. Letting my hands go back to gripping the crutch, I looked at him straight in the eyes and said, "Fuck you, Dean Ambrose."


	10. Chapter 10: Admitting the Hard Truth

_**POISON WAS THE CURE**_

_**CHAPTER 10 - ADMITTING THE HARD TRUTH**_

* * *

_**Dakota's POV;**_

After sleeping on it for a while, I decided that it would have been better to hold my tongue for a little while longer, probably after my ankle healed. I did, however, contact management during the drive to the next city, and although they were a bit reluctant at first, they allowed me to appear on TV, but I had to figure out what excuse I had for my inability to compete before I arrived at the arena.

So, as AJ drove, I slid my phone out of my purse and opened up Twitter to explain what happened exactly.

_**I've been having some ankle pain, and I finally went to check it out. They told me I sprained my ankle, probably during a workout session, and now I'm out for 1-2 months. **_

_**But, don't worry. I still get to grace your TV screens, so it works out! **_

I decided that since I was on Twitter, it would have been a good idea to go through my tag to see what people were saying about me. I didn't do it often, but when I did, I usually found some cool stuff. And, almost seconds after I sent out that Tweet, Renee decided to respond. I groaned and rolled my eyes before I read it.

_** WWEDakota what a shame… I loved watching you wrestle. I hope you pull a JohnCena and recover fast.**_

Due to the complete fakeness of that Tweet, I decided not to even respond to it. Instead, I placed my phone back into my bag and looked behind to find that Big E was no longer snoring, but on his phone. He looked at me and showed me the tweet I had just sent out. "I thought Renee did it," he stated, trying to figure out if I was telling the truth.

"She did. It doesn't mean that the fans need to know," I turned back around, not wanting to discuss it any further. "I think we're almost there," I said to AJ. I would have driven, since I was fairly familiar with the city we were going to, but the rental company specifically said that the person who paid was the best person to drive.

She sighed and pulled into the hotel parking lot a few minutes later, rubbing her eyes as she opened her door. "Okay, so all we need to do is check in, and then we get two hours of sleep," she said while stretching. "But first, I really need to eat something, because I'm starving."

Big E and I nodded as he held all of our bags. I took my phone out of my purse and saw that I received a DM from Renee. "Does this girl ever give up?" I said to myself, reading the message.

_**I'm really sorry about this. This is all my fault. I really wish I could do something about it. **_

_**Do you think you could meet me in my hotel room? It's 415.**_

I didn't answer the message, but I mentally agreed to do so, thinking she couldn't possibly make my ankle worse. Plus, I really wanted to tell her exactly how I felt about her.

After we got checked in and settled in, Big E and AJ were already snoozing away, while I couldn't wait to go over to Renee's room to give her a piece of my mind. I grabbed my key card and quietly left the room, going down the hall to Renee's room.

I knocked on her door, and within a second, it was open. Only it wasn't Renee standing in front of me. "What are you—" He was cut off by Renee poking her head through his arms, smiling straight at him.

"You can come in," she said, pushing Dean aside to allow more space for me to go in. When I was fully in the room, she shut the door and motioned for me to sit on her bed. "So, what exactly did the doctor say?" she asked, sitting next to me

I swallowed hard, looking over to Dean who was watching TV, paying no attention to us. I really had to do it so I wouldn't have to deal with her fakeness. But with Dean in the room probably ready to defend her when I _knew_ he was just in a state of denial… It was definitely going to be a hard task. "Actually," I started, my voice shaking a bit. "I just wanted to — to say that thi — this is… Uhh…" I was stuttering way too much to be taken seriously, and my voice made it sound like I wanted to crawl into a corner and hide. I shook my head, clearing throat to speak again, this time with a bit more of a strong tone to it. "I just wanted to say that this," I said, gesturing to my ankle, "is your fault. I know that no one pushed you, and you purposely did this to me because I was dancing with Dean."

I didn't expect her to admit to it, though it did come as a shock when she laughed and shook her head. "Dakota, I don't _need _to get jealous when I know that Dean loves me, just as much as I love him," she said with a smile.

I looked over to Dean, his eyes locked on the TV, but something told me that he wasn't really paying attention to it. Therefore, I decided to hold back the words I really wanted to say in fear that he would jump in. "Okay… Fair enough argument. _But_, there is nothing you can say to convince me otherwise." With that said, I grabbed my crutches and tried to leave the room, but when I put my hand on the doorknob, I felt someone tug me back, causing me to stumble back and fall. Looking up, I saw that Renee was standing over me.

I realised that I had solid proof that Renee was really psychotic and jealous, I looked passed her, only to see that Dean had left to room, and was in the bathroom. I groaned and tried to get up, but she pressed her foot down on my ankle, and even though the splint was there, I could still feel a smidgen of pain. I pulled my foot away from her, but she bent down and took it in her hand, slamming it against the floor. "See, Dakota? _This_ is me injuring you on purpose."

I tried to crawl away, but I stopped when I saw Dean standing there, his eyes fixed on both of us. "Do you believe me now?" I asked, watching as he stepped closer to us. Renee backed away, allowing him to look straight at me. His gaze said that he was a bit… Scared? That wasn't an emotion that Dean was capable of. Or so I thought, at least. However, the words that came out of his mouth told a different story.

"No, I actually _don't _believe you. You started it by accusing her of spraining your ankle, so it's not her fault." Renee stood next to him, arms folded across her chest with a smug smile on her face that I would've loved to slap off.

I sighed, shaking my head in disbelief. "You're honestly such an idiot. So much so that I can't even…" I sighed, not knowing what words to say. I took up my crutches and picked myself up off the ground. "Dean… I never thought that I'd admit this, even to myself, but I was kind of starting to like you a little. I even told myself that it isn't true." I felt my eyes welling up with tears, and I tried to hold them in, but I couldn't. "Now, I don't feel that way anymore," I croaked, placing my hand on the doorknob. "That's mainly due to the fact that you just won't get it through your head that Renee isn't the sweet, innocent girl you think she is."

I didn't stay long enough to hear what he had to stay, mainly because I didn't care. I was completely done with him, and if it wasn't for that ridiculous storyline they put me in, I would've stopped talking to him entirely. Dean Ambrose was dead to me, and I knew that I made the message loud and clear.


	11. Chapter 11: Rose in Full Bloom

_**POISON WAS THE CURE**_

_**CHAPTER 11 - ROSE IN FULL BLOOM**_

* * *

_**Dakota's POV;**_

It didn't surprise me that AJ and Big E didn't realise that I left the room. They were the heaviest sleepers known to man, and I always had to wake up fifteen minutes early just so I could get them to wake up, only for them to fall asleep again. I didn't blame them — our travel schedule was insane.

We all sat by the monitor, watching the action that was going on. It was Dean versus Cesaro, but I was trying hard not to focus all my attention on Dean; I didn't want to be angry for the rest of the day. I looked at AJ and wrapped my arms around her, placing my head on her shoulder. She gave me a confused look, and I shrugged. "You're warm… And squishy," I said with a giggle.

"Wow… Those pain meds are getting to you," she said, pushing me off her. Big E and AJ burst into laughter, and naturally I joined them. "E, look! She's crying and laughing!" I didn't even notice that I was until she pointed it out. I wiped the tears from my eyes, catching my breath while Big E and AJ did the same. "I kind of miss these moments between us."

At first I was confused as to what she meant, but then a few seconds later, I caught on. Ever since I got mixed up with Dean, we never really had the chance to loosen up and enjoy our time together. That was entirely my fault, and I had to make it up to them somehow. "Okay, where are you guys going tomorrow?" I asked, wondering if the plans I'd made up in my head would work for them.

"I'm going to Tampa. _He's_ going to be there," AJ said with a smile. "Speaking of which, you need to tell me the closest hotel to your house. Or you can just let me and Punk stay with you."

I nodded, then looked at Big E. "Tampa, I guess. I don't have anywhere else to go…" I smiled, thankful that we were all going to be in Florida. Therefore, we could all have a sleepover, with Punk included. I'd always liked him. He was a fun person.

"Good. Then we'll be having a sleepover. It starts at six so be there on time or fashionably late, alright?" They both nodded, and as soon as our conversation was over, Adam tapped my shoulder, tapping his wrist. I checked the time, and our segment started in five minutes. "I gotta go. I'm going straight back to the hotel, by the way." I said before going away with Adam.

Dean was already waiting with Renee, and he was flirting away. It was funny, because every few seconds, he would glance at me, probably to see if I was watching. But, on the flip side, every time he did it, I was _always_ watching him. As much as I hated to admit it, it was painful to watch him flirt with her, thinking that she's an angel, when she was anything but that. "He's an asshole," he said, already sucking on his lollipop. "Don't mind him."

I nodded and turned my full attention to him. "He is an asshole, isn't he?" I said with a smile. "Anyway, what have you been up to lately?" I asked, genuinely interested for some reason.

"Nothing important, dearie," he said, speaking around the lollipop. "Doing anything tonight?" he asked out of the blue. I thought back, trying to remember if I had anything planned. When I realised that I didn't, I shook my head. "Good. After we're done here, would you like to hang out at the hotel for a while?"

I wondered why he would ever want for me to actually hang out with him, seeing as we barely knew each other, but I accepted, nonetheless. "Sure, I'm down for it," I said with a smile.

Before I knew it, it was time for our segment to start, and Dean, already in position, sent me wink before the camera started rolling.

"_**Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my guest at this time, Dean Ambrose." I looked on as she stared at him flirtatiously. I really was trying hard to not let it get to me, but it was. "On Monday Night Raw, it was implied that you were trying to get Dakota Flores to join you, as in team up. Can you explain your reason for this?"**_

_**He shook his head and chuckled. "After what happened with Seth Rollins, I don't want to be partners with anyone. What was implied was that she was better off siding with me, even though that won't happen. Ever," he said, moving in a bit closer to her before quickly glancing at me. "But, still, I won't change my words. Adam Rose is an idiot, and all those Rosebuds would find glory with me."**_

_**I interrupted the interview, staring straight at Dean. "I'd have to be half-dead before I ever decided to side with you. Adam is a genius. it might not seem so, I'll admit it myself, but he really is. So before you go running your mouth, I'd suggest that you get your facts straight."**_

_**We both stared down at each other as Renee shifted uncomfortably. Suddenly, he placed his hands on my face, causing me to temporarily break character. "I do have my facts straight," he said, bringing his lips to mine. My eyes widened, but for some reason, I sighed into the kiss, gently letting my eyes close. That was definitely not in the script.**_

I heard someone yell cut, but that didn't stop him — or me, for that matter. I opened my eyes, preparing to pull away, but Dean strategically placed an arm around my waist, pulling me back in. "Stop," I said against his lips. "I mean it."

He sighed, loosening his grip so I could move away from him. Not wanting to know the outcome of what had transpired. I went away, looking all over the place for Big E and AJ so I could vent to them. I wasn't angry while we were kissing, but after thinking about it, the stunt he pulled could have easily cost me my job. "Fuck!" I yelled, getting tired of looking for them,

I stopped in the middle of the crowded hallway, more than irritated. I found a place to sit, burying my face in my hands, letting my tear fall. Someone placed their arms around me, and I really didn't care who it was at that point — I just needed comfort. "Don't cry," he said, smoothing down my hair. It was Adam, which didn't really surprise me, but it still felt good to be comforted by him.

And at that moment, it was clear to me. I knew exactly what had to be done.


	12. Chapter 12: Like a Magnet

_**POISON WAS THE CURE**_

_**CHAPTER 12 - LIKE A MAGNET**_

* * *

_**Dakota's POV:**_

During the course of the night, I expected to get a call from management, but I surprisingly didn't. I still was expecting them to call, however. The issue had to be straightened out eventually. "Do you think I'll get fired?" I asked, looking at Adam who was sitting next to me. We had just gotten to his hotel room a while before. "I hate to admit it, but I'm really scared."

He placed his arm around my shoulder, pulling me a little closer to him. "It's not your fault that he kissed you. You couldn't have read his mind, so don't worry about it," he said before placing a kiss on my forehead. My cheeks started to burn as soon as he did so. "What was the accident that caused you to sprain your ankle?"

I felt like it was time that I told him what had actually happened. I trusted him enough. Besides, he was kind man, so it wouldn't have been fair to lie to him. "It's a long story… but I'll still tell you," I said before clearing my throat. "Dean invited me out to a bar one night, along with Renee. I got a little tipsy, and Dean and I danced, like… _Danced_. And, uh… I didn't know that he and Renee had something going on, so when she caught us, she pushed me and made me sprain it. She claims that someone pushed her, but I know that isn't true. That's why Dean and I don't speak — he believes her and not me." I looked at Adam, who was nodding while staring off at the distance. "You believe me, right?"

"Of course I believe you. I saw what happened on Raw — Just didn't know why she would do something like that, so I didn't say anything." He looked straight into my eyes before speaking again. "Dean is an idiot, you know. He was right there during the entire thing, how could he take Renee's word over yours?" I nodded, not knowing what else to say. "Also, to be completely honest, you look a lot prettier than Renee." I looked away from him, hiding the fact that I was seriously blushing.

"Thanks," I said nervously. At that point, I felt the urge to look at him straight in the eyes. He eyes looked a bit similar to Dean's but his eyes showed more positive feelings than negative. Without thinking, I snaked my arms around his neck and pulled him down, his lips pressing firmly against mine. He moved a hand to my chin, pushing my head up a bit further while my hands were tangled in his soft hair. He slipped his tongue into my mouth, and I liked the feeling it had when it roamed all over my mouth.

Slowly, he pulled away, smiling as he caught a glimpse of my flushed face. "Was that good?" he asked, his hand smoothing down my hair. I nodded and tried to suppress a giggle. "Good," he said before placing a quick peck on my lips. "I've been waiting to do that for a while now, but since you were so caught up on Dean, I didn't do it."

I groaned, remembering the rumours that swirled around. "Dean obviously didn't like me, so I don't know where that one came from," I said fiddling with my fingers. "The most we were was friends, and that was a fucking train-wreck." I picked up my phone to fill the awkward silence that I knew was about to come. I didn't even realise that I missed two calls and got five text messages. All from Dean. After debating for a while, I decided not to even see what the messages said. I wasn't willing to get sucked back in.

"Dakota, as much as I like you, no one was blind. You liked him, and he still likes you. He's just being an idiot at this point, and missed out on someone amazing," he said, placing his hand on my shoulder. "I now have the best girl in the world."

Adam was such a charmer, which was something that Dean didn't have. All he had — and I wasn't afraid to admit it — was his looks. I didn't even know why I liked him in the first place. "I'm flattered," I said with a smile, looking up at him. "This means we're official… right?" I asked, remembering that Dean and I kissed more than once while he was with Renee. Actually, it was more like Renee was with Dean.

He nodded before pressing his lips against my forehead. "I'm not Dean," he simply stated.

My phone began to ring, and that time, it was AJ calling. I picked it up, answering as quickly as I could. "Hey," I greeted. Adam gave me a look, as if he was asking who I was talking to. I mouthed AJ's name, and he nodded.

Only it wasn't AJ, and I didn't find out until after I had told Adam. "Umm… Hey," he said, his deep, rough voice echoing through my eyes. "I called you off of AJ's phone since you weren't answering me. I need to talk to you, like right now." He actually sounded serious, but I didn't want to see him. I still needed to cool off from the stunt he pulled. "Where are you?"

I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't have seen me do so. "Not important," I said, hearing him sigh afterwards. "Listen, right now really isn't the time. I'm really sick of the mind games you pull day in and day out, and I won't put up with it any more than I have today. Understand?" The other end was completely silent; I didn't even hear him breathing. I looked on my phone screen to make sure that didn't hang up. When I saw that he didn't, I put it back up to my ear to be met with same dead silence. "Hello?"

He cleared his throat before answering me. "Fine. You don't have to talk to me. I don't even know I was going to tell you that, anyway. You're not important." He cleared his throat once again. "By the way, management called me, and you're travelling with me on Thursday." He quickly hung up the phone, leaving me to question exactly what he was about to say. Then again, it didn't exactly matter…

"You sounded upset. Isn't AJ your best friend?" he asked, probably wondering why I was telling my best friend that I didn't like her mind games.

"I know what you're getting at, and it wasn't AJ like I thought it was. Dean called me off her phone to tell me that we're travelling together on Thursday," I explained, failing to mention that he wanted me to see him. "I guess management called him, but not me, since he was the one that started it." He nodded, but he wasn't smiling. "You're not mad, right?"

He shook his head. "Of course not. You didn't know it was Dean," he said, grabbing my hand. "But, you can still talk to him if you want, just as long as you don't do anything bad."

I didn't know why he thought I would have done something bad, but I tried not to focus on it. I really didn't want to mess everything up. What I really needed to focus on was the fact that I had an actual boyfriend for the first time in years, and that I no longer wanted Dean in my presence. I was going to fight hard to get forget about whatever we had, because it was extremely toxic for me.


End file.
